Ukrainian community to celebrate conductor and liturgical music (09/11/05)

Ukrainian community to celebrate conductor and liturgical music

by Maria Kulczycky

CHICAGO - The Chicago Ukrainian community will host a two-day celebration of the life of conductor Ivan Truchly, particularly his interpretation and propagation of the Kyivan liturgical choral music.

The celebration, to be held October 8 and 9, will include a symposium, concert, solemn high liturgy and reception, all focused on the examination and performance of Kyivan liturgical music. All events will be held at St. Andrew's Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Bloomingdale, Ill. Participants will include musicologists, conductors and local Ukrainian choirs. A book of Prof. Truchly's arrangements, "Liturgy," will be available for purchase.

The celebration coincides with the 120th anniversary of the birth of Prof. Truchly. Born September 19, 1884, in the Poltava region of Ukraine, Prof. Truchly studied in the Kyiv Music Conservatory, as well as at the Physics and Mathematics University of St. Volodymyr.

He assisted eminent Ukrainian conductor Oleksander Koshetz, developed student choirs in Ukraine, and performed in Czechoslovakia and Germany. Forced to leave Soviet-occupied Ukraine in 1919, he dedicated his life to the study and performance of Ukrainian folk and liturgical music and the training of a new generation of conductors.

Emigrating to the U.S. after World War II, he conducted church and secular choirs in New York and Chicago.

Prof. Truchly died in 1975 in Chicago. His research and analysis was published recently in the Ukrainian collection titled "Liturgy."

Throughout his life, Prof. Truchly collected and recorded songs and melodies, emphasizing phraseology, translation and liturgical language. He considered choral music without instrumental accompaniment the highest form of creativity for the human voice.

The Kyivan liturgical style, distinguished by a capella singing, a broad base range and dominant male voices, is majestic and moving.The Chicago celebration is aimed at renewing appreciation and performance of this unique choral treasure of Eastern Slavic peoples that was much admired by Debussy, Ravel and other Western composers.

A special invitation is being issued to choristers who performed in choirs conducted by Prof. Truchly to participate and share their recollections at the reception on Sunday. Information and registration forms can be found on Brama.com or obtained by e-mailing [email protected].

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